Open Innovation in Life Sciences 2026

20 October 2026|

8001 Zurich, Switzerland

Rämistrasse 59

University of Zurich

Registration ended on 20 Oct 2026

Welcome to Open Innovation in Life Sciences 2026!

Open Innovation in Life Sciences 2026 is a premier life science conference connecting researchers and professionals across academia, industry, and society in the light of open science.

The overarching scientific theme of this year's one-day conference is “From Bit to Bench: Shaping SustAInable & Ethical Innovation in Life Sciences”.

Organised by:

Roche Site Visit, Wednesday 21 October, Basel

On the day after the conference, a small group of OILS26 participants will visit Roche in Basel, with talks and a look at Roche's research labs.

Places are limited. To join, simply select the Roche visit option in the registration form when you register for OILS26, by 15 October, 23:59 CEST. If there are more requests than places, we will allocate them through a fair random draw, and everyone will be informed by email on 16 October.

Participants are kindly asked to arrange their own travel to and from Basel, as transport is not provided.

The synergistic goals of this one-day conference are:

To foster open interactions among early career researchers in all life science fields working in Switzerland and beyond and to explore career perspectives together.
To enhance the interactions between academia, industry, and society by bringing together all relevant stakeholder groups to discuss open science and innovation topics.

Ticket Fees - Registration FAQs

Important dates

1 Aug 2026 · Online registration and abstract submission open
15 Oct 2026 · Abstract submission deadline
15 Oct 2026 · Presenters notification
15 Oct 2026 · Roche site visit: interest deadline
20 Oct 2026 · Conference day, networking apéro from 17:45
21 Oct 2026 · Roche site visit, Basel

Practical information

Venue: University of Zurich, Rämistrasse 59, 8001 Zürich · Get directions
Social media: #OILS26 · @OpenLifescience on X, Facebook, LinkedIn and Bluesky
Website: openinnovationlifesciences.com

“Education, research, and innovation are central cornerstones of our society. Especially in Switzerland, the life and health sciences contribute significantly to economic performance. The new developments in medicine towards personalized diagnostics and therapy offer extraordinary opportunities combined with new challenges. In order for Switzerland to remain a leader in this fast-moving area, we must promote cooperation across the borders of disciplines and institutions. That's why the 'Open Innovation in Life Sciences 2018' conference brings together researchers and physicians, private companies, and state actors, ensuring an open exchange on an equal footing. The canton of Zürich supports the conference as part of its efforts to further strengthen the Life Science Cluster in the canton of Zürich.”

Carmen Walker Späh
Government Councillor, Head of the Department of Economic Affairs, Canton of Zürich
On the inaugural Open Innovation in Life Sciences conference, 2018